Mary Gates Scholarships

About the Program

The Mary Gates Endowment for Students was established by Bill and Melinda Gates in 1995 to honor the memory of Bill's mother, Mary Maxwell Gates (1929-1994). A leader who promoted voluntary service and philanthropy both locally and nationally, Mary Gates served as a UW Regent from 1975-1993. The Mary Gates Endowment expands opportunities for undergraduates by providing scholarships that ask students to articulate their goals, identify mentors, reflect on their experiences, and actively engage in their own learning processes.

With the support of a mentor and a Mary Gates Leadership orResearch Scholarship, the Endowment hopes to help students develop and achieve their goals. Mary Gates Scholars a community of active and accomplished students and alumni, many of whom have published professional papers, won prestigious national awards, and founded non-profit organizations.

Mary Gates Endowment Scholarships are worth $4,000 and paid in two quarterly installments. There are two application cycles per year, with deadlines in October and January. All UW undergraduates, including international students, are encouraged to apply. To learn more about these awards, visit the program website.

The next round of the scholarships will occur in Fall 2016.

Mary Gates Scholars at UW Bothell

UW Bothell is proud to recognize the following Mary Gates Scholars:

2015-2016 Academic Year

Kelsey Bolinger, Senior, Society, Ethics and Human Behavior and Media and Communications, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. Representation of Race and Gender in PEOPLE Magazine.
Mentor: Julie Shayne, Senior Lecturer, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.

Bonnie Johnson, Senior in Community Psychology, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.Crow Postural Behavior and Vocalizations.
Mentor: Douglas Wacker, Assistant Professor, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Alejandra Perez, Senior, Society Ethics and Human Behavior, and American Ethnic Studies, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.Decolonization through Student Activism: Documenting the Diversity Center Initiative at UW Bothell.
Mentor: Janelle Silva, Assistant Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.

2014-2015 Academic Year

Sarah (Sally) Brady, Mary Gates Research Scholarship
Class of 2015, Health Studies
Project: "The Latina epidemiological paradox: exploring the relationship between ethnicity and socioeconomic factors and the rates of cesarean birth in King and Yakima Counties"